These comments are made for the purpose of discussion and should NOT be used as recommendations for or against therapies or other treatments. An individual patient is always advised to consult their own physician.
Betapace
Question: My grandmother was recently put on Betapace to control arrhythmia, and she has become incredibly disoriented and confused since taking it. Is this a typical side effect? My grandmother is 80.5 years old and has never had any signs of memory loss/Alzheimer’s previously. Her confusion is VERY strong and she dreams things and believes they happened. She also doesn’t know what day/time it is, etc. Needless to say, I’m concerned. On Monday she is having about 12″ of her intestine removed due to an ulcerated polyp.
Answer: Betapace(sotalol) is a drug used to treat arrhythmias. It has both Class II(beta adrenergic blocking) and Class III(cardiac action potential) activity. About 2% of patients experience a change in mood or mental status while on this drug. About the only way you will find out if it is the drug or some other problem is to stop the drug. This should be done post-operatively after her colon surgery when she can be monitored to ensure that she does not develop severe arrhtymias. If her confusion persists past 2 days it probably is not the drug.
